Evolution / Genetics

Ancient Syrian site discovered and destroyed by ISIS

When the Islamic State group captured Tal Ajaja, one of Syria's most important Assyrian-era sites, they discovered previously unknown millennia-old statues and cuneiform tablets, and then they destroyed them.

"These barbarians have burnt pages of Mesopotamia's history," said Abdulkarim.

"In two or three months, they wiped out what would have required 50 years of archaeological excavations," he added.

In 2014, the antiquities department on its website published a series of photos of items from Tal Ajaja that had been destroyed, including cuneiform tablets and bas-relief depictions of the lamassu -- the famous winged Assyrian deity.

The lamassu is a creature from Mesopotamian mythology, often depicted with a human head, the body of a lion or bull, and the wings of an eagle.

Though traditionally considered protectors and placed outside temples to guard them, the lamassu of Tal Ajaja were unable to escape IS's ravages.

'Cultural cleansing'

"IS turned the hilltop into a military zone," said local resident Khaled, who spoke on condition a pseudonym be used because he still fears IS might return.

"No one was allowed to enter the site without authorisation," he added.

"Hordes of armed men came in, along with traffickers of archaeological objects," added another resident, Abu Ibrahim.

Tal Ajaja was also known by the name Tal Araban in the Islamic era. But "even the upper strata dating back to that era were razed," said Ahmo.

Abdulkarim said numerous artifacts from the site were smuggled to neighbouring Turkey and on to Europe, adding that he had alerted Interpol in a bid to retrieve some of the items.

Since its rise in 2014, IS has ravaged numerous archaeological sites in Iraq, including the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, provoking outrage.

The UN cultural organisation has described the jihadists' actions as "cultural cleansing".

In Syria, more than 900 monuments and archaeological sites have been affected, damaged or destroyed by the regime, rebels or jihadists since the conflict began in March 2011, according to the Association for the Protection of Syrian Archaeology.

Among the worst incidents was the destruction by IS of temples in the famed ancient city of Palmyra, which provoked international outrage.

Between 2014 and 2015, Syria's antiquities department moved some 300,000 objects and thousands of manuscripts from across Syria into storage in Damascus.

But Abdulkarim has watched in horror as sites are laid waste by war and looters.